Auto-kitchenette.



T. HACKERSON.

AUTO KITCHENETTE. APPLlcAT l0N FILED AUG.1.6.1911.

Il 929 8 16 Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

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THOMAS HAGKERSON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTO-KITCHENETTE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.. et, 19M).

Application led August 16, 1917. Serial No. 186,505.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS HAoKERsoN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Auto-Kitchenettes, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a kitchenette or commissary device designedparticularly for the use of automobilists and others, for convenience incarrying food stuifs and other articles, and also adapted to be set upfor use asa table, whereby an article of general utility to campers,picnickers, outing parties and tourists is aorded.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthe character described comprising a cabinet of suitable construction tocontain food stuffs, a cooking outfit, kitchen and table utensils, andsuch other articles as the user desires to carry, which cabinet isprovided with a table top of novel construction and comprising leafsections which are adapted when not in use to be folded to partlyinclose the cabinet body, thereby providing a compact device for storageor shipment and one in which the sections of the table top will normallyinclose strengthen and protect the cabinet itself.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a novel mode ofmounting the table leaves and supporting the same in horizontal positionforuse, the supporting means being foldable between the table topsections and cabinet when said top sections are folded down, and servingto automatically move to engaging position when the table top sectionsare elevated for use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide table top sectionswhich may be light in weight and yet will be strong, durable and rigidin construction so that a. strong and durable article may be madewithout making the device as a whole unduly heavy.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 isafperspective view of the device in closed condition and as adapted tobe applied to the runnin board, fender or trunk rack of an automo ile.

Fig. 2 is a view of the device asset use as a table.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device showing in full and dottedlines the foot brace disposed in folded and unfolded positions.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through a portion of the cabinetand the table top sections, showing said sections supported 1n positionfor use.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a portion of the cabinet and tabletop sections, showing said sections in folded position.

Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, l designates an auto kitchenette or commissarycabinet, comprising a box or casing preferably of oblong rectangularform and made of metal, wood or of a composite construction. Thiscabinet is provided with suitable compartments, drawers and doors,forming inclosures to hold the goods of various kinds to be carried andfor normally concealing and protecting the same. As the interiorconstruction of the cabinet constitutes no part of the presentinvention, no description thereof is given, except as may hereinafter befound necessary in describing the novel features of construction towhich the invention relates.

As shown the cabinet includes in its construction a bottom wall 2, endwalls 3 and a top wall 4, and the end walls 3 are provided with handles5 for lifting the cabinet and transporting the same from place to place.The cabinet normally rests at its base upon foot blocks or plates 6,secured to the bottom wall 2 adjacent to the end Walls 3, and havingportions 7 projecting beyondsaid end walls for engagement with suitablefastening devices whereby the cabinet may be secured to the runningbo-ard, fender or trunk rack of an automobile. The foot plates 6 alsoserve as supports when the device is removed from the automobile and issetup for use upon the ground. In order to prevent the cabinet fromtilting over when removed from the automobile and used as a table,'apivot brace 8 is employed and disposed upon the underside of the bottomwall 2, said brace being centrally pivoted so as to normally lielongitudinally in the space between the foot up for llO plates 6 andadapted to be turned to a position at right angles to the cabinet, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to project beyond the sides of thecabinet and thus make extended side supports to prevent the Cabinet fromoverturning under the weight of articles thereon.

A table top is provided comprising leaves 9 and 10, which are ofcounterpart construction, each leaf comprising a top section or wall 11,a body section or wall l2, and end sections or walls 13. The topsections or walls 11 of the two leaves are adapted to conjointly coverthe top wall l of the cabinet when the leaves 9 and 10 are in foldedposition, as shown in Fig. 1, in which position `of the leaves the bodyportions l2 thereof are adapted to diverge upon opposite sides of thecabinet and to cover and protect the same. The end walls 13 project overupon the end walls 3 of the cabinet covering and protecting the same toa large extent from injury. The end pieces or walls 13 of the leaves arepreferably of triangular form, their adjacent edges being arranged todiverge in a downward direction when disposed in folded position, so asto cover the corners of the cabinet while leaving the handles 5 exposedso that they may be easily reached and manipulated.

The top walls or sections 11 of the leaves are provided with hingemembers or plates 111, the knuckles of which are adapted for cooperationwith the knuckles upon hinge brackets 15 fixed to the top wall l of thecabinet, said plates and knuckles being suitably connected, as bypintles 16, whereby the leaves are hinged to each other and also to thetop of the cabinet, thereby adapting them to fold downwardly over thetop, sides and ends of the cabinet, as describechand also to be elevatedto the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2, in which the body walls 12are disposed in the-same horizontal plane,

thereby adapting the leaves to serve as a table top of maximum area.

For supporting each leaf in an elevated position a pair of brace rods 17is provided, the said. rods being hinged or pivoted at one end, as at18, to the underside,` of the wall 12 at a point between thelongitudinal edges thereof, and the opposite end of the rods being freefor coperation with keepers 19 upon the cabinet body for holding theleaf sections in an elevated position. The keepers 19 are disposed atthe top corners of the cabinet and each comprises a wear plate ofL-form, each wear plate having a vertical arm fitted and secured withina recess in the vertical edge of the end wall 3 and a horizontal armfitted in a recess in the top wall 4f, providing a surface over whichthe free end of the cooperating brace rods 17 may slide in the openingand closing movements of the leaf. The horizontal arm of nagaan;

each wear or keeper plate is provided with a stop bead or shoulder 20 tohold the brace rod from sliding inwardly beyond a predeterminedposition, 'in which position the brace rods hold the table leaves inalinement and with their top walls 12 disposed in the same horizontalplane. rllhe brace rods 17 extend at a downward and inward angle ofinclination whenin supporting position and are limited in downwardmovement beyond such position by step pins 21 upon the end walls 13, therods being sustained and held between the shoulders 20 and the pins 21and thereby irmly holding the elevated leaves in a horizontal position.

In releasing and folding each leaf, the leaf is slightly elevated ortilted upwardly beyond a horizontal position suciently to release thefree ends of the brace rods 1T from the stops 29, after which the rods17 are lifted by the hand to clear the stops 2O and the leaves aredropped, the rods sliding.` in this action over the surface of thekeeper or` wear plates and swinging to a vertical position parallel withthe walls 12 of the leaves 9 and 10, as clearly shown in Fig. ln thisposition the rods lie in spaces between the walls 12 and adjacent sidesor walls of the cabinet, the outer or free edges of the leaves 9 and 1()being preferably provided with flanges 22 to abut against the sides ofthe cabinetv and hold the leaves slightly in spaced relation thereto. lnelevating and locking the leaves in elevated position, the free outerlongitudinal edges of the leaves are grasped and 'manipulated to swingthe leaves upwardly to a horizontal position, and in this action therods 17 auto matically tilt from the position shown in Fig. 5 to theposition shown in Fig. 1, and their free ends ride over the keeper orwear plates 19 and into engagement with the shoulders 20, making thelocking action entirely automatic in the movement of the leaf sectionsto table top forming position. The rods 20 lie in close proximity to thewalls 13 on which the stops 21 are mounted, and, when in supportingposition, extend slightly beyond the line of the outer surfaces of thewalls 3. rhe walls 13 are spaced suliiciently from the walls 3, when theleaves are folded, to provide intervening spaces into which the stops 21project, thus adapting said stops to be moved into and out of engagementwith. the rods when the leaves are swung upwardly and downwardly.

It will be observed that the described angular form of the table topsections or leaves gives more strength and rigidity, and accordinglythese leaves may be made of comparatively thin sheet metal so as to belight in weight while at the same time exceedingly strong, rigid anddurable. 1t will also be seen that when the leaves are closed or swungdownwardly, they will inclose and naeaai cover and reinforce the cabinetbody to a tion, and as the leaves snugly inclose the body rattling willbe prevented and a dust and waterproof cover will be aiorded.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet, leavesmounted to swing upwardly to a horizontal position and downwardly tovertical position on opposite sides of the cabinet, said leaves havingwalls to project over the top of the cabinet, said walls being hinged toeach other and to the cabinet top, and means for supporting the leavesin an elevated position.

2. A device of the character described comprising an oblong rectangularcabinet, a pair of leaves, each comprising a top section, a body sectionand end sections, said top sections being hinged to each other and tothe top of the cabinet, keeper members upon the cabinet, and pivotedbraces carried by the leaves to fold therewith and adapted for automaticmovement by gravity to engage said keepers.

3. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet, includingtop and end walls, leaves on opposite sides of said cabinet and havingtop walls pivoted together and to the top wall of the cabinet andadapted to cover the same when in folded positions, end walls for saidleaves partially covering the end walls of the cabinet when said leavesare folded, and means for supporting said leaves in adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

THOMAS HACKERSON.

Witnesses:

GUsTAvE NELSON, JAMES A. DONNELLY.

opes of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

